Sam is strong
by laurenmdean
Summary: Sam is trying to hold in his secret meetings with Ruby, and the fact that he is still drinking demon blood. This begins to be too much, and when Sam comes down with a simple cold, his stress level makes everything much worse. Not to mention the demon complicating things a bit.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

**It's all fun and killing until someone gets injured**

Sam leaned over the bed, glancing at his brother making the move from behind.

"Just remember Sammy, it is going to hurt at first, but it will feel a hell of a lot better after." Dean snickered, happy it wasn't him. Sam nodded his head and did his best to move his right arm back so Dean could grab it. Dean grabbed his wrist and had his other hand on Sam's back where the shoulder blade was.

"On the count of three, right?" Sam asked. Dean uttered in agreement and began counting,

"One, two…" A sickening pop rang out across the motel room, followed by a muffled yell from the younger Winchester boy.

"I thought we said three." Sam finally managed to breathe out. Moving his arm around a little, massaging his shoulder.

"Eh, it is more fun when you don't know it is coming." Dean laughed and headed off towards the bathroom. When Sam heard the door close, and the water turn on in the shower, he walked over to the bedside table and opened it quietly and carefully, as not to jar anything in the drawer, knowing Dean would notice things out of place. Sam picked up the carefully placed Bible, and set it down on his bed. He gave one more glance at the bathroom door, and heard Dean humming to some obscene rock song. He opened the Bible to page thirty, and laying there in cut out pages was a very small vile of red liquid. He lifted it carefully and shook it, before popping the top and downing it.

In the bathroom, the water shut off, so Sam threw the vial in his shirt pocket, and closed and placed the Bible in his duffle bag. Just as Dean came out, with nothing but a towel wrapped around his body, for the first time Sam was noticing the beating Dean's body took during a mission. He had multiple deep scratches down his left side, and he had different shaded bruises scattered all over. Some new and some weeks old, but they still looked painful regardless.

"You know," Sam began, getting Dean's attention, which was previously looking through his clothes. "You need to take care of some of those scratches." Sam finished pointing at one that had busted open while Dean was throwing stuff around.

"Eh" was Dean's response, along with grabbing a dirty shirt off of the floor and wiping the new blood away. "I will live." He finished with, before disappearing in the bathroom again to get dressed.

"I am going to grab something to eat; do you want me to get you anything Dean?" Sam called as he began rising off of the bed, feeling the effects of the demon blood he had just downed.

"Um, can you get me a double cheeseburger with extra bacon and a large order of fries, and maybe a chocolate milkshake?" Was the response from the bathroom.

"Ok Dean, how about I bring back the lady who takes my order too?" Sam asked sarcastically, only for Dean to open the door and lean out.

"Is she cute?" He asked, before closing the door again. Sam let out a snicker and grabbed Dean's keys off of the end table. Sam's real intentions burning a whole through his scalp, he quickly left the stuffy hotel room and headed down to the waiting Impala. When Sam reached the driver side door, he flipped open his phone to a new text message, he quickly opened it, and it read

_From: Ruby_

_Meet me at the warehouse on the third; I have someone you might want to get to know. Make sure Dean doesn't know, this is going to get violent._

When he finished reading it, he made sure to press the delete button, and watched it until it confirmed being deleted. He then got into the Impala and sped out of the hotel parking lot towards Ruby and her supply of blood.

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Sam arrived at the warehouse. The dark lingering over it, the moon was covered by clouds, so Sam took his flashlight from the passenger seat and exited the vehicle. When he reached the main door, he heard yelling coming from inside, first it was Ruby's voice, sultry and woman like, then there was a deep male voice, crying for mercy. Sam entered and quickly the scene unfolded in front of his eyes.

Ruby was standing outside of a devil's trap, and there was a man, tied to a chair inside of it, crying. His red hair flamed nicely, and complemented his pale skin. It took Sam a second but when he reached Ruby's side, he had a couple of questions brewing all ready.

"How did he get in there? Tied up? When you know you can't go in those things." Sam pointed to the devil's trap and smiled awkwardly at Ruby who was admiring her handy work.

"I didn't need to. I got a tip from an old friend who was working this guy over, when he spilled a little information about a certain demon we need to know. So my friend called me with the location, and here we are." She smiled as she held a knife up to Sam's chest.

"So, have you found out anything?" He asked her, taking the knife graciously from her hands. Running his hand up and down the blade, pondering all the things he can so easily do with it.

"No, the little maggot says he never said anything about nothing, and that he is not a demon, and you know the whole spew about innocence." Ruby laughed loudly, glancing over at the dark grin spread across Sam's face.

"Well, I guess I will have to get the truth out of him, one way or the other." Sam laughed slightly, and began walking toward the man, blade drawn.

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By the time the Impala pulled back up into the motel parking lot, the food had become cold. But Sam knew Dean wouldn't care, food was food. Sam checked himself one more time in the rearview mirror, making sure there was no blood anywhere on him. He was not about to give this thing with Ruby up over some minor technicality. He grabbed the bag of food and the two drinks and made it up the stairs to room 207, where he knocked because his hands were full. When the door finally swung open, a very nervous Dean was there. But upon seeing Sam standing on the other side, Dean let out a sigh of relief.

"Where have you been man? I have been trying to reach you on one of your cells, I couldn't get a hold of you, and I know it doesn't take three hours to get food." Sam walked past Dean and put the food on the table.

"Sorry, I got a little distracted." Sam apologized emptily. Dean gave him the _that's not good enough of an excuse _look, and Sam recognized it well. Concocting a story from thin air was what Sam was getting good at, and he needed to get a good one right now. "Well you see, there is this girl at the diner, and I think…" but Sam trailed off, knowing good and well when to stop a story so he didn't have to complicate the lie. Dean's face changed, and he let out sigh of relief.

"Well Sammy, I never thought you would find one." He nudged the still sore shoulder and Sam let out a painful breath of air. "Sorry." Dean apologized before giving Sam a suspicious look. "That shoulder still bothering you?" He asked reaching over towards Sam. But he quickly jerked away.

"Thanks mom, but I'm fine." Sam scoffed before grabbing his salad and sitting on his own bed. Only then did Dean turn his attention to his food. Sam sat for a moment, and let out a quite breath of relief, he could have been caught there. He has to be more careful next time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

**It was getting way to easy**

The morning broke very quickly, and Sam was already in the bathroom, fresh out of his shower. Standing in front of the mirror with a needle and some heavy duty thread, closing the fresh gash he had received the night before when the demon managed to break his binds and get a one up on Sam, whose mind was elsewhere. Sam could only take care of these wounds while Dean was asleep, otherwise Dean would find out about the secret meetings and the demon blood obsession that Sam never really did shake.

When the last stitch punctured the skin, Sam broke the thread, hid it in his duffle, and pulled his shirt back on. When he was leaving the bathroom, the heavy sleeper Dean was just coming too.

"Good morning sleeping beauty, I thought you would never wake up." Sam laughed as Dean flipped him off.

"What time did you get up?" Dean asked groggily, throwing his feet over the bed, but avoiding the cold floor.

"I don't know, like an hour ago. I wanted to get a shower before you got up so we could hit the road early. I think I found us a case in South Carolina." Sam winced at saying the name of the state, knowing about his and Dean's last trip to the south ending horribly. Like getting pots and pans thrown at your head by a crazy poltergeist, horribly.

"Sam, is there something going on?" Dean asked out of the blue. Sam tensed up, but only on a small scale, knowing Dean would notice otherwise.

"Why do you ask?" Sam questioned, now turned to look at his brother standing there staring the adjacent bed.

"Because, you bed doesn't look slept in." Dean pointed and then glared at Sam. Sam felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"That is cause, I uh…" Sam stuttered for a second, knowing that the pause was certain death. "Made it." Dean's face was less than fooled, he rolled his eyes at Sam and his feet hit the floor.

"Whatever Sammy. You are one strange person." Dean just shrugged it off and walked to the bathroom, but returned only seconds later fully dressed and ready to hit the road.

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Only about one hundred miles into the journey, Dean had to pull over at a gas station and grab a bite to eat and a bathroom break. As soon as he was under the cover of the building, Sam whipped out his blue cell phone and immediately hit the number four on his speed dial. A woman's voice answered after only one ring,

"Sam, what is it?" Ruby's voice was a mix between concern and anger.

"Ruby, Dean found us a job in South Carolina, and I don't think I will be able to handle it without, you know, getting something." Sam stuttered over his words, feeling the cold sensation rippling over his body, knowing he was craving.

"Well Sam, I don't know what to tell you, unless you can get to Colorado somehow within the next forty five minutes. I am going to be on a plane soon, headed for Mexico, someone has something I need. Sorry babe, you are going to have to make due with the vial." She chuckled a little, knowing that would never last him.

"The vial is gone." Sam yelled out, louder than he intended. This drew the unwanted attention of the woman at the pump next to him. Sam glanced at the gas station and noticed Dean hovering around the drinks.

"Gone?" Ruby scolded him. "How could it be gone already, there was at least a months worth in that thing." She sounded upset. "Sam, you can't be drinking that much without my supervision, we don't know what will happen."

"I am not your damn lab rat." Sam yelled into the phone, "You got me hooked, so you keep supplying." At this Sam noticed Dean coming out of the gas station. "I gotta go." Sam said quickly and flipped the phone closed.

"Who was that?" Dean questioned while he dug through the paper bag. Sam looked at him and decided to answer,

"It was Bobby; we were just going over some particulars about the case." Sam lied, and he hated it, but he knew it was necessary in order to maintain the lifestyle he was living at the moment.

"Oh ok. Well, what are we dealing with down in the good ol' south?" Dean asked with a mock southern accent.

"We are dealing with something along the lines of a _wild animal attack." _Sam reported, only to notice Dean's face change.

"Are we thinking something like…?" Dean took a moment, "werewolf?" He gulped down, remembering the last time him and Sam had to deal with one, and how painful it was for Sam.

"That is what I am thinking, I mean it has all the tell tale signs of one, but, lets hope it isn't." Sam commented turning his gaze over at Dean.

"Or let's hope it is a him." Dean retorted before turning on the car.

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The car ride felt like the longest thing in the history of Sam's time. He could have sworn to himself that he had been in the car for weeks, and not just hours when they pulled up to the old roadside inn. But, when Sam's feet touched the solid ground, he realized how much he needed to get his hands on some demon blood, and he also realized how hard that would be with Dean over his shoulder.

"I am going to go get us a room." Dean called over his shoulder to Sam, who was grabbing the duffle bag out of the trunk.

"All right." Sam agreed and waved over the trunk. When Sam heard the bell on the front door chime, indicating that Dean had entered the building, Sam let the dizziness take him over, and he dropped to one knee, breathing deeply. The sweat now dripping off of the tip of his nose, even though it was late August and the heat was not bad at all, Sam stayed crouched down until he heard the bell again, and pretended he was picking something up.

"Come on Sammy, we got cabin number three." Dean knocked Sam on the back, bad idea, figuring Sam had just gotten his bearing standing straight up. He began to wobble dangerously, but caught the extended bumper of the car, noticing Dean was still walking towards the room, and he realized he was safe, for now. _I really need that blood. _Sam sighed to himself and carried his two duffels up the long row of stairs.

Dean arrived to the door and unlocked it quickly, knowing there was going to be the sweet treat of sleep on the other side. He busts pen the door and flipped on the light. Sam immediately began to feel the effects of a migraine as he approached the bed farthest from the door. He threw his stuff down and flopped on the bed, soon hearing Dean do the same. It was only a matter of minutes before snoring took up the entire room. But Sam, he just lay there awake, thinking of how to score some demon blood without the help of Ruby this time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

**Now comes the hard part**

The headache only seemed to intensify when the sun started streaming through the windows. Sam, who was currently researching everything he could think of about South Carolina, looked tired and achy as he rose from the little wooden chair. Sam heard the sound of the bed squeaking behind him, and when he turned, he saw the concerned look on Dean's face.

"Sammy, did you sleep?" Dean rose, without even stretching. His eyes full of worry now.

"No, I couldn't sleep past all the snoring you were doing." Sam tried to brush it off quickly, but realized that this subject was not going to just be dropped.

"No Sam, you not sleeping _one _night because of my snoring is normal, now it has been what, three days?" Dean was now in between Sam and the bathroom blocking his escape route. "Now, you need to tell me what is going on." Dean's voice was slowly rising, and his hands were flying all over the place meaning he was trying to prove his point.

"Dean, just leave it alone." Sam interjected, putting his hand between Dean and the doorframe, pushing him out of the way. "I am just…" but Sam trailed off as a wave of dizziness hit him hard, and he grabbed onto the doorknob for support. Dean couldn't help but notice his brother, and reached out to grab him.

"Whoa there Sammy." Dean commented as he caught Sam's elbow and lowered him slowly to the ground. Sam was breathing deeply, trying to convince himself that he was still on the ground. "You're telling me this is nothing?" Dean asked, still in his condescending tone.

"Well Dean, _this _might be something." Sammy finally breathed out. Dean looked worried, and was looking his brother over, from head to toe.

"Well I mean, are you hurt anywhere?" Dean asked, the worry dripping from every word.

"No Dean." Sam said with a frustrated tone once the world stopped spinning. He rose to his feet, shaking off any help Dean was offering him. "I'm fine, just a cold I ignored. After the sleep tonight I will be fine. Besides we have a case to start on." Sam reminded him, hoping the subject of his little dizzy spell would be forgotten. But from the look in Dean's eyes, there would be quite a time gap before what just happened was forgotten.

"Well ok, but, only if you are feeling up for it Sammy." Dean said, glancing at Sam, who was now sitting behind his computer.

"This just seems like a salt and burn Dean, just a plain run of the mill ghost haunting. We should be in and out of there in two days tops." Sam read some typing on his computer, trying to ignore the obvious stare that he was getting from his brother. His head was pounding, like someone was sticking swords through his head. Hitting him with white hot anger, he tried to ignore it so he could just get Dean off of his back.

"Sam, I don't think you are up for this one, maybe you just need to get a few days rest before we try to go hunt something." Dean pried. Sam got agitated and pushed his seat back quickly, closing and picking up his laptop, he then stormed out of the hotel room. "Well, I will take that as a no then." Dean said, as he watched Sam's silhouette fade into the darkness.

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It was only outside that Sam was finally able to let his body heave, and finally relieve his stomach of its contents. He was doubled over when a young beautiful blonde walked to his side and put her hand on his back.

"Excuse me sir, are you ok?" She asked, holding on to the now swaying Sam. His mind became clouded with pain and fogginess.

"No…I think…..I think…..something might be wrong." Sam finally got out, just before his muscular body hit the ground, much to the strange woman's despair.

"Sir? Sir?" She shook him, with no prevail. "Oh my god! Help! Help!" The woman began calling loudly, one hand on Sam's pulse. It was quick and erratic. His skin was very hot to the touch. "Help!" The woman called once again louder.

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Dean heard the woman's cries from the parking lot, and grabbed the colt from the bed and shoved it in the back of his pants. He exited the motel room cautiously, and noticed a group of people standing really close to the Impala. His stomach dropped immediately. All of his nervousness about a demon dropped, and he hauled ass to the car. _Sam. Sam. Sam. _Was the only thing running through his mind, and when he finally made it through the crowd his worst fear was confirmed.

"Sam?" Dean called, dropping to his knee next to the large limp body. He grabbed the collar of Sam's jacket and shook a little.

"Should I call 911?" The woman asked Dean.

"No. I will take him back to the motel room and take care of him." Dean commented, kind of brushing her off. Dean slapped the side of Sam's face lightly. "Sammy?" Dean waited for some kind of response, but there was nothing. "Sam?" Dean asked again, slapping him for a second time.

"I don't think he is going to wake up, kid seemed so tired, and he is burning up." The woman commented. Dean looked up at the woman and noticed the crowd was now growing around the boys.

"Listen lady, I don't need your input, ok?" Dean harshly delivered the words, only secretly mad he had not picked up on the signs of something being wrong with Sam in the time that he had been with him, but, this stranger knew in the whole three minutes she had stood next to him. The woman then backed away into the crowd of murmuring people and disappeared.

"We can help you get him back to the room." An older looking black guy offered Dean. He weighed his options, and then nodded his head in agreement. Dean rose from the ground and grabbed one of Sam's arms and the black guy grabbed the other, and they dragged the limp body towards the motel door. Once there, they entered, and dropped Sam on the closest bed they made it to. It was there Dean thanked the man, and walked him out. "Well, you take good care of him." The man added as he walked back to his own room. Dean agreed and nodded his head.

Back in the room, Sam's breathing was ragged and shallow. His body was shaking so hard, it looked like a small seizure. His teeth were chattering loudly, and he was sweating beads. Dean stalked over to his bedside and began removing his shoes and socks, and pulled the blanket over Sam, who was still shivering.

"Don't worry Sammy; I am going to take care of you." Dean said, sitting near the foot of his bed, deciding he was going to wait for Sam to wake up before going out to get food or anything. He rose from the bed patting Sam's blanket, and went over to the table in the corner of the room, and settled in for a long time waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

**Sometimes I need a moment:**

It felt like forever, but Dean first noticed Sam's hands and feet moving.

"Sammy?" Dean rose from his seat and ran to Sam's bedside, which held a very confused man.

"Dean? What happened?" Sam asked, sounding like even talking hurt. He began to try to rise from the bed, but Dean laid his hands on Sam's shoulders.

"Where do you think your going?" Dean commented, adjusting the pillow underneath Sam's elbow. Then Dean carefully laid his hand on Sam's burning forehead. "Damn it Sam." Dean sighed as he headed over to the small table where a bag from the grocery store lay. He reached his hand inside, and pulled out a thermometer. He took it out of the wrapping and carried it over to the now leaning up Sam, who looked absolutely terrible. "Here put this in your mouth." Dean threw the thermometer on the bed, and Sam reluctantly put it in his mouth. Dean paced around, waiting for it to beep. Two minutes later the dreaded loud beeping disrupted Dean's current train of thought, he quickly stalked over to Sam's side, which was now drifting into sleep, and caught the thermometer when it fell out of his mouth. "Sammy." Dean said as he stared hard at the numbers.

"What Dean?" Sam asked in a weak, tired sound voice.

"104.2 Sam that is _what._" Dean said sarcastically. He stalked over the table and laid the thermometer down slowly, collecting himself. "Ok, I need to go get you some aspirin and some cough syrup and some other stuff, Sammy…" but Dean faded out when he realized Sam had fallen back asleep. Dean scribbled a note, grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

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In the gas station Dean paced up and down the aisles quickly, scanning over everything.

"Can I help you with something sir?" The attendant asked. Dean snapped his head up to see a sweet older looking lady staring concerned at him.

"Um, yeah." Dean finally stuttered out. "I need something for my brother, he is sick." Dean rubbed his hands together, and continued to look around while the attendant walked out from behind the counter, going to the aisle right in front of Dean.

"Here is some Tylenol and cough syrups. There are also some cold and hot compresses. When my son is sick I use them, and they work like a charm." The old lady picked up the things and handed them to Dean who just nodded his head, accepting everything the woman was telling him. Dean approached the counter at the same time the lady got to the register. "Is that going to be all?" She asked nicely. Dean just nodded his head and pulled out a twenty. He paid, and was heading back to his car when his phone began to ring. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and it read _Sam _in big letters. Dean's heart dropped as he flipped open the phone.

"Sam?" Dean asked.

"Aw, I'm sorry, but little sick Sammy can't come to the phone right now. He is a little….tied up." A female voice taunted.

"Listen here you bitch…" Dean threatened. But the woman quickly cut him off.

"Aw now Dean, is that anyway to talk to someone who literally holds the future of your brother in her hands?" At that Dean heard a loud, pained yell coming from Sam. "Now, I expect to be spoken to more politely, or your brother will get much worse than a cut on the arm." The woman trilled. Dean's blood boiled.

"Don't you touch him." Dean threatened again, and again the sound of a pained grunt was returned. "STOP!" Dean yelled into the phone, instantly making the woman's voice change.

"You know what I want Dean, just hand it over, and little Sammy here can live to see another day." The agitated woman yelled.

"Anything, just…" Dean paused, sucking in a breath, "don't hurt Sam." Dean thought for a minute, his mind in utter defeat. "Can I speak to Sam?" Dean asked, but only got the click of the phone hanging up. "Going to South Carolina my ass." Dean uttered as he climbed in the Impala, throwing the bag in the passenger seat. He skidded out of the parking lot, and headed back to the hotel, to turn over the one weapon the Winchester boys had to kill everything, the colt.

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Dean pulled up in his space and climbed quickly out of the car. He ran to the door, and put the key in and flung the door open. The scene that unfolded before him made him take a moment. Sam was sitting, bloodied in a chair. Ropes around his torso and neck, chains around his feet, as a woman was bending over him speaking to him softly, this made Dean want to shoot her where she was standing. But two sets of large hands grabbed at both of his arms, preventing him from reaching for the colt in the back of his pants.

"Well Dean," the woman turned, and he recognized her from the parking lot. It was the woman who was trying so hard to "help" with Sam. "Welcome to the party, did you bring the party favor?" She asked giggling as she rubbed the knife down the contours of Sam's bloody face. This made Dean jerk forward, trying to shake the two black eyed ugly guys off of his arms.

"Did you have to put out to get these two, or was it your natural bitchy charm?" Dean asked the woman, smirking. At this she looked right at Dean, and sliced Sam's neck a little, making him cry out. Dean's smile immediately shrunk off of his face. "Oh baby, when these two uglies let go of me, you are in for a hell of ride." Dean tried to keep up his tough guy exterior, but inside he was yelling, crying out for Sam. The woman took the knife and jabbed it into Sam's stomach, the blood instantly pooling out.

"Aw Dean, you should really learn to mind your manners." The woman pushed in the knife slowly until it reached the handle. Sam was crying, tears were falling on his tied up hands, and his screams were piercing. His breaths coming in short intervals, until his head slumped over and there was silence.

"Sam?" Dean yelled. "Sammy?" He yelled again. Still no answer, Dean dropped to his knees, freeing from the grip of the two demons. He reached in his pants, and pulled out the colt.

"Well Dean, I see you have come to your senses. Good boy." The woman patronized him. But Dean held on tight to the gun and let out a sickening smile.

"I told you" Dean smiled. The woman's face turned very confused. "Hell of a ride." Dean's face shot up, and he shot the woman right between the eyes. There was a moment of static through her eyes, and her limp body hit the floor. With that, the two demons that were holding Dean ran out of the room. It took Dean a moment for him to find his feet, and get over to Sam's side. When he finally was able to make it to his limp brother's side, Dean sighed heavily, his eyes filling with hot tears. He put his hand on Sam and pushed him slightly. "Sammy?" Dean choked out. "Sam?" Dean asked again, looking at the blade now. "Damn it Sam, answer me." The hot tears began to fall down Dean's face, and his whole body began shaking with anger. "SAM!" Dean yelled.


End file.
